Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/495

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DECORATIONS.

pay, though he should not be in possession of the silver medal.

The obverse of the medal contains the initials: ' F. W. R. LIT. beneath a crown, and the reverse the inscription within a laurel wreath: 'Verdienst um den Staat' (Merit of the State). It is worn suspended by a black watered ribbon with white stripes. (Tab. IV. No. 21).

The gold medal has been discontinued since the 30th September, 1814, and replaced by a silver cross in the form of the Red Eagle fourth class, under the name:

7. Military Decoration of Honour, first class.

8. General Decoration of Honour, first class—By the same decree of 30th September, 1814, the golden medal of Civil Merit instituted in 1810, was substituted by a silver cross under the above name, and worn by the ribbon of the Red Eagle, while the silver medal of Civil Merit, also instituted in 1810, is now worn as:

9. General Medal of Merit. (Tab. IV. No. 22).

10. The Decoration of Merit for saving from Danger, was founded by Frederick William III. on the 1st February, 1833, as a brilliant mark of public acknowledgment. It consists of a silver medal, and shows on the obverse the effigy of the King, and on the reverse the inscription within an oaken wreath: 'Für Rettung von Gefahr' (For saving from danger). Unlike a similar medal instituted in 1802, for a similar purpose, which the owner was not allowed to wear publicly, this new one is worn at the button-hole suspended by an orange coloured ribbon with two narrow white stripes. (Tab. IV. No. 19).

11. Medal of Neufchatel.—This silver medal was founded on the 18th January, 1832, by King Frederick William III. as sovereign Prince of Neufchatel and Valangin, as a reward for those who had taken part in the military operations of 1831.